Machine for hardening irregular metal surfaces



June 24, 1930. A. E. SHORTER E 1,768,160

I MACHINE FOR HARDENING IRREGULAR METAL SURFACES Filed Dec. 21, 1927 2SheetsSheet 1 INV NTORS'. m a6. M,

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. ATTORNEYS June 24, 1930. I y A. E. SHORTER ET AL 1,7'68;l'60 MACHINEFOR HARDENING IRREGULAR METAL SURFACES Filed D 90. 21.

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INV NTORS; W 5. 3am

ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 24, 1930 ALBERT EDWARD SHORTER,- OF LONDON BOOKHAM,ENGLAND, ASSIGIN'ORS TO LTD., 01' LONDON, ENGLAND, A BRITIS AND GYRILLETT BOUCHEBZ, OF LITTLE THE PATENT GEAR HARDENING COMPANY,

H CORPORATION v I MACHINE roa EABDENING' maneurnn METAL scannersApplication filed December 21, 1927, Serial No, 241,683, and in GreatBritain September 29, 1927.

This invention relates to improvements in the surface hardening of metalarticles and particularly to a machine for surface hardening metalarticles having irregular peripheral surfaces, such as cams.

The principal object of this invention is to provlde a machineforuniformly hardening irregular peripheral surfaces without distortingthe article. Another object is to provide a machine for simultaneouslyhardening the wearing surfaces of a number of cams or like articles.

The objects andthe novel features of this invention will be apparentfrom the llow ing description and the accompanying drawin s, in which:

ig. 1 is a plan view of a machine embogying this invention; and

ig. 2 is a side view of the same, parts being shown in section. I

Broadly speaking, the improved machine comprises means for supportingone or more of the articles in such position that successive parts oftheir peripheral faces may be intensely heated, and quenched immediatelyafter such heating. The article and the means for applying heat theretomust be moved relatively to each other peripherally of the article, andin order to uniformly heat the successive parts it is essential that thesurface and the heating means be separated a uniform distance at alltimes. In the drawings, the invention is shown as embodied in a machinefor surface hardening cams or similar metal articles having irregularsurfaces subject to wear, ciples of the invention may be incorporated inmachines for surface hardeningthe peripheries of other forms of metalarticles.

Asillustrated, a plurality of cams Ocarried by a shaft S are supportedso that portions of their peripheral faces may be successively presentedto suitable means for intensely heating them. Such heating means mayadvantageously consist of one or more water-cooled oxy-acetyleneblowpipesB having multiple jet nozzles B of suflicient width to produceelongated flames extending across the faces of the cams. Theoxy-acetylene flames produced by the mixture of oxygen but the prinandacetylene issuing from suchnozzles in-- tensely heat successivetransverse sections of the cam surfaces as the .cams are rotated.Immediately after the successive sections are heated, they are quenchedby suitable means, such as jets of cold water or atomized sprays of coldwater and compressed gas issuing from suitable outlets in the pipe P anddischarging across the surfaces of the cams just after they pass thenozzles B of the blowpipes. A suitable tank T may be arranged coolingjets and to 'hold an additional body of cooling water in which the camsare subthat they may be rotated and atthe'same time moved upwardly'anddownwardly to maintain their surfaces at the water level and at auniform distance from the blowpipe nozzles. As shown, this may beaccomplished by mounting the cam-carrying shaft S in suitable bearings Sin the lower end of a frame F which may be pivoted on the rod R securedto. the tank or other adjoining support. The shaft S with the cams orother articles thereon may be rotated at the desired speed by suitablechain-andsprocket gearing G- driven through speedchange mechanism H andan electric motor M. Y 1

Suitable means may be rovided for maintaining the surfaces un ergoingtreatment adjacent or just below the level of the water 'below the camsto collect the water-from the a Y in the tank T. The shaft S may carry aI master cam C, the peripheral surface of which corresponds to those ofthe cams 0,

and engagesa fixed follower D. The master cam rotates in unison with thecams C, so that the surfaces of all the cams on the shaft S will be keptjust at the surface of the water in the tank T while the cams C arebeing intensely heated. The frame F is so pivote and the weight of themotor M and its asso-. ciated parts so arranged that the master cam willbe held against the follower D. Minor vice,

adjustments for properly balancing the frame and associated parts areprovided for by the adjustable weight W.

The number of blowpipes may correspond to the number of cams, eachblowpipe being mounted on a fixed supporting bar E so that the flamesthereof shall severally impinge on the surfaces of the cams at the waterlevel. The blowpipes may be guided and supported in holes-J of the bar Eand finer adjustments may be procured by means of adjusting screws K.

The operution of the machine will be apparent from the foregoingdescription. Briefly, the cams A or other articles are mounted inposition and the follower is preferably so adjusted that each of thecams will be completely submerged in the water in the tank and so thatthere will be only a thin film of water overthe part of the surfacenearest the tip of the blowpipe flame. During operation, this film isblown away by the blowpipe flame, exposing the cam surface for intenseheating. Immediately after each part of the surface is intensely heated,the pipe P delivers a cold jet or spray to such surface to quench it.The submerged body of the cam with its associated supporting means arekept cool, thus avoiding distortion.

Numerous changes may be made in the construction of the machine shownwithout departing from the principles of the inven- What is claimed is:

1. A machine for surface hardening metal articles having irregularperipheral surfaces, comprising the combination ofa fixed hightemperature heating device, and means whereby successive parts of theperipheral surface of such article are presented to said device at asubstantially uniform distance therefrom.

2. A machine for surface hardenin articles having irregular peripheralsurfaces, comprising a high-temperature heating de and means for movingsaid device and the surface of said article relatively to one anotherperipherally of said surface to uniformly heat successive parts of saidsurface, said device being maintained stationary and at a fixed distancefrom the successive portions of the surface.

3.,A machine according to claim 2 wherein such moving means comprisesmeans for rotating said article relatively to said device andmaintaining successive parts of its surface at a uniform distancetherefrom.

' 4:. A machine according to claim 2, in combination with means forquenching such successive parts immediately after they have beenintensely heated,

5. A machine according to claim 2, in

combinationwith a tank containing coohng liquid, the successive parts ofsaid surface being disposed adjacent the level of'said liquid while theyare'bein heated and the major parts of the article eing submerged insuch liquid.

6. A machine for surface hardening metal articles having irregularperipheral surfaces, comprising the combination of a fixed hightemperature heating device, a tank containing cooling fluid, means forrotating the article to be treated,*means for maintaining said articlesubstantially submerged in said cooling fluid with successive parts ofits face at a substantially uniform distance from said device, and meansfor quenching successive parts of said face immediately after'they havebeen heated.

7 A machine for surface hardening metal articles comprising a tank,-arotatable article support movable up and down in said tank while saidarticle is rotating, blowpipe means for heating successive parts of th"article as it isrotated, means for maintaining the parts undergoingheating at a umform distance from said blowpipe, and

means for quenching shch parts immediately been intensely heated. 8. Amachine for surface hardening metal articles comprising the combinationof a tank containing a quenching liquid, a support for a plurality ofarticles having surfaces to be heated, blowpipe means for heating saidsurfaces, means for rotating sa d articles to present successiveportions of sai surfaces to said blowpipe means, means for adjusting.said support while said articles are rotating to maintain said surfacesa umform distance from said blowpipe means, and means for. quenching thesuccessive parts of said surfaces after they have been intensely heated.

after they have 9. A machine for surface hardening metal" thecombination of a tankcontaining a quenching liquid, a support for aplurality of articles having surfaces to beheated; means for heating.said surfaces; means for rotating said articles to present successiveportions of said surfaces to said heating means; means for maintainingsaid surfaces at auniform distance from said heating means; and meansfor quenching the successive parts of said surfaces in said liquid aftersuch surfaces have heated; said support comprising a pivoted frame, andsuch rotating means being carried by said frame.

10. A machine for surface-hardening a metal cam or the like comprisingmeans for rotatin said cam, fixed high-temperature means or heatingsuccessive peripheral portions of said cam, means for quenching suchportions after they are intensely heated, and means whereby saidsuccessive portions are maintained a uniform distance from said heatingmeans.

been

11. A machine for surface hardening a metal cam or the like comprising atank containing a 1i uid at a constant level, means for rotatlng saidcam, means for 5 maintaining said cam submerged in said liquid with thesuccessive portions of the surface undergoing treatment always adjacentthe surface of said 1i uid, means for heating such successive portionsof the cam, and

0 means for quenching such portions after heated.

they have been intenseljy fiix We a our slgna- In testimony whereotures. a

' ALBERT EDWARD SHORTER. CYRIL LETT BOUCHER.

